Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Dogs… To think it doesn’t matter whether it’s a legal breed or not?!

633 replies

MsWalterMitty · 24/03/2022 19:44

Just read about the recent child death in St Helen’s. It’s so awful!

The breed of dog has been released and it turns out it’s not an illegal breed. It’s called an American Bully XL, never heard of it so I googled it, even though I had an idea what it might look like due to its name.

Surely, whether it’s legal or not, this dog seems like a really stupid choice for a family!

OP posts:
Thread gallery
13
XelaM · 27/03/2022 00:22

It's totally laughable that people compare the bites of "small yappy dogs" to those of massive muscular fighter dogs 🙄 The meanest little beasts in dogs' clothing I have encountered were Jack Russells and Chihuahuas. Little bitey devil dogs, but I would rather get attacked by a Jack Russell or a Chi than an American XL Bully or a Rottweiler

HeadNorth · 27/03/2022 00:27

Yup, all these people viciously attacked by chihuahuas and JRTs plainly lived to tell the tale. Very different to being set upon by by a big dog strong enough to kill.

XenoBitch · 27/03/2022 00:35

@HeadNorth

Yup, all these people viciously attacked by chihuahuas and JRTs plainly lived to tell the tale. Very different to being set upon by by a big dog strong enough to kill.
It is a small handful of people who die by dog attacks each year. More people end up in A&E from being bitten by the small breeds.
HeadNorth · 27/03/2022 00:43

Better in A&E than in the grave. Honestly. Think of what you are typing.

XenoBitch · 27/03/2022 00:51

@HeadNorth

Better in A&E than in the grave. Honestly. Think of what you are typing.
Look up how many end up in the grave. A hell of a lot more people die on the roads each year.
hookiewookie29 · 27/03/2022 00:56

I'm a childminder. I have a Staffy. The most gorgeous, laid back, adorable dog ever. He loves the children, they love him. I don't keep them apart because he's been brought up with the children from the age of 8 weeks and they know how to behave around him. He takes himself off upstairs if he needs a bit of peace. None of the families were concerned about us getting a Staffy, in fact they were all over the moon. Most of them have, or have had, dogs.
One family have a nephew who had his cheek biten off by a Jack Russell. Another has 2 rescue Greyhounds who have to be muzzled. We chose a puppy so he was brought up with my job. Wr would never have considered a rescue dog with the job I have.We had a Staffy years ago and she was fab with our own children when they were young. I hate the bad press Staffies get. When we're out walking he goes off his lead and never bothers with other dogs at all, but we have many dogs who won't leave him alone.
It's alright all these people saying " oh, she was bitten by a poodle but it's ok....." No it's not ok- its a dog bite. It would be a whole different story if it was a Bull terrier breed....

Selena55 · 27/03/2022 03:04

I wouldn’t have left mine with a childminder with any dog breed to be honest. One of the many reasons I chose a nursery.

Dogs around small children make me nervous. Obviously some breeds are more lethal than others but I’d prefer no dog bites at all for my children thanks.

sinpola · 27/03/2022 04:53

Did they adopt this dog or buy from a friend kind of thing. Because I don't see how this dog was placed in a house with a young child so easily , a reputable adoption wouldn't have allowed this

sinpola · 27/03/2022 04:58

@Selena55 even the smallest dog can potentially bite a babies face so your right you can't trust any dog. But a big dog could do massive damage it isn't worth the risk. I have a big dog they are very very powerful

Sushi7 · 27/03/2022 05:32

@XenoBitch More people end up in A&E from being bitten by the small breeds.
I’d rather be in A&E having a few stitches than be mauled to death or have life changing injuries because I (and others around me) couldn’t prise a super strong beast of a dog away. Yes, any breed can then… but unless you’re super tall and super strong and bulked out, you wouldn’t be able to prise an American Bully, Mastiff or Pit Bull from its unsuspecting victim.

Sushi7 · 27/03/2022 05:33

*turn not then

sinpola · 27/03/2022 05:52

@Sushi7 even a tall strong man would struggle.

Turningpurple · 27/03/2022 06:02

@sinpola

Did they adopt this dog or buy from a friend kind of thing. Because I don't see how this dog was placed in a house with a young child so easily , a reputable adoption wouldn't have allowed this
I would guess its highly likely it was purchased. Probably through FB groups/pets4homes/gumtree etc

Just like the dog that killed Jack Lis was. While selling on FB isn't allowed it happens all the time. The dogs groups I am in are very quick to delete posts trying to sell dogs or puppies. But after Jack was killed, I looked at a few FB pages regarding this breed and people were openly selling their dogs.

The circumstances were very similar. Adult dog sold to a family and killed a child within days. Except Jack was a visiting child. He visited his friend who had been left in the house alone with the dog. I can't imagine the pain that caused Jack's family but also the boy who lived there who witnessed it all.

sinpola · 27/03/2022 06:17

@Turningpurple that's just unimaginable, really horrifying 😭

NCLsim1990 · 27/03/2022 06:18

A family retriever tried taking my arm off! Nothing to do with breeds.
He gave no warning & had never previously attacked.
I was that shocked I refused for him to be taken & destroyed but 2 years later he bite my nephews lips off; should of been destroyed after the first incident.

Dogs… To think it doesn’t matter whether it’s a legal breed or not?!
Dogs… To think it doesn’t matter whether it’s a legal breed or not?!
Turningpurple · 27/03/2022 06:23

@NCLsim1990

A family retriever tried taking my arm off! Nothing to do with breeds. He gave no warning & had never previously attacked. I was that shocked I refused for him to be taken & destroyed but 2 years later he bite my nephews lips off; should of been destroyed after the first incident.
Why was the dog around your nephew? I assume he was an adult? The owners make the ultimate decision about keeping/rehoming through a reputable rescue or destroying.

Both incidents sound horrifying. But as it didn't kill you or your nephew, you have proved the point that most people are saying.

If this had happened with the dog, in this and many other cases these dogs are more likey to kill. No one is saying other breeds dont attack or dont cause damage to people.

NCLsim1990 · 27/03/2022 06:35

@Turningpurple
Yes my nephew was an adult fortunately, it was actually his dog which then turned on him.
However had that been a small child who he'd attacked they wouldn't of stood a chance is my point.
I've always had Rottweilers personally and I can say out of all 4 not once has any of them shown signs or hints of aggression.
Since my last Rottweiler had to be put to sleep due to illness & age, I haven't been able to get another dog my boy took my last heartstring. I don't like seeing certain breeds being attacked on these kinds of posts because in the right hands with responsible owners any dog can be part of a family; and make for a fantastic family pet.

anotherbloodyyearofcovid · 27/03/2022 06:52

@Mumofsend

I think anyone buying a random dog off the Internet, as an adult aged dog, and mixing it with a 17 month old child is at best naive and at worst dangerous.

However, the parents have paid the most devastating price. They don't need the world to tell them they should never have bought the dog, they will hate themselves for the rest of their lives for doing so.

Don't beat people at the worst point in their lives

Shouldn't think the parents of the child mauled to death will be reading this.

People can say what they want about mad dogs and don't need to be censored by you and what you imagine others might be thinking.

Turningpurple · 27/03/2022 06:52

However had that been a small child who he'd attacked they wouldn't of stood a chance is my point.

And yet, retrievers aren't killing kids. If it's ever happened it's rare. They have the ability to. But it doesn't happen.

Surely that doesn't support its ALL based on the owner. There's plenty of irresponsible owners about with all sorts of dogs. So why is it certain breeds again and again.

If it was down to just irresponsible owners, it would a wider range of breeds.

tabulahrasa · 27/03/2022 08:06

“So why is it certain breeds again and again.”

Because there are subsets of those breed types that are bred to be aggressive by shitty breeders, then treated in a way that encourages that trait by shitty owners.

People aren’t doing that with other types of dog.

EmeraldShamrock1 · 27/03/2022 08:18

Because there are subsets of those breed types that are bred to be aggressive by shitty breeders, then treated in a way that encourages that trait by shitty owners.
They've been breed aggressively for fighting for generations it becomes instinct similar to other breeds that were breeding for specific jobs they're instincts will kick in when the situation presents without intense training to do otherwise.

The size and weight added makes it a killer.

Turningpurple · 27/03/2022 08:21

@tabulahrasa

“So why is it certain breeds again and again.”

Because there are subsets of those breed types that are bred to be aggressive by shitty breeders, then treated in a way that encourages that trait by shitty owners.

People aren’t doing that with other types of dog.

In which case those breeds/breed subsets are suitable as family pets or even pets.

Thats my point. Its not just down to owner behaviour its also down to the breed/ breed subset.

tabulahrasa · 27/03/2022 08:30

“They've been breed aggressively for fighting for generations it becomes instinct similar to other breeds”

Except it’s not dogs bred for fighting though, they’re bred so that someone can pull them out mid fight and stitch them up.

It’s dogs that are bred literally just to look and act dangerous, with no actual purpose other than ego of people.

“In which case those breeds/breed subsets are suitable as family pets or even pets.”

But you can’t identify them particularly from ones that are bred to have a stable temperament and if you ban them, guaranteed they’ll just move on to other breeds.

Turningpurple · 27/03/2022 08:42

But you can’t identify them particularly from ones that are bred to have a stable temperament and if you ban them, guaranteed they’ll just move on to other breeds.

Think we are talking about 2 different things.

I was posting in response to someone saying its not about the breed as they were attacked by a retriever.

I am saying its both breeder and owner. I am not talking about what should be done.

Just that I don't believe we can pretend the breed has nothing to do with it

Whatafustercluck · 27/03/2022 08:51

People keep talking about 'these dogs are bred for fighting'. The American Bully XL is not. The aggressiveness has been purposely bred out of them to make them suitable family dogs, and good with children. Which rather indicates that it's the way they're raised that makes or breaks them. Get a KC registered puppy, love it, train it, integrate and socialise it. Don't get an adult dog, of any kind, without knowing their history, off Facebay. As I said, I'd be wary of rescue dogs for this reason, many have behavioural issues and do not make good family pets where they have access to young children.